This year marks a landmark anniversary for Behavior Interactive’sDead by Daylight, as the game now passes the five year mark since it’s initial release in 2016. With these five years of the game’s history to look on now, fans can see how the developer has continued to evolveDead by Daylightwith new featuresand killers to keep it a ready staple as a competitive title both for players and viewers.
Interestingly enough, looking back at the initial release ofDead by Daylight, some fans might note that Behavior Interactive didn’t exactly come out of the gate running. With only a small selection of killers when the game debuted, it was always up in the air if the developer would be able to get it off of its feet both for competitive players and as a casual eSport on Twitch.
Killers Then vs Now
One of the major criticisms ofDead by Daylight’s was its killers, which at launch only amounted to three playable characters that didn’t quite boast the large number of special abilities available in the game today. These three initial killers are still staples for competitive players today, with the chainsaw wielding Hillbilly, beartrap laying Trapper, and the invisible Wraith. Given that the Wraith is still singled out today as a difficult killer to master with an ability that doesn’t immediately show off the same utility as traps that could be placed around the map and a chainsaw to run around at full speed.
However, Behavior Interactive quickly began addressing the situation of the limited selection of killers by introducing three new killers by the end of 2016. Now, there are 23 killers to choose from, with the 24th killer coming in the form ofResident Evil 3’s Nemesisone day after this fifth anniversary forDead by Daylight. At this point, there’s a killer for every type of player, and a lot of players that will gravitate towards both unique kill options and broken builds that essentially guarantee a win.
Today’sDead by Daylightintroduces new skinsand characters so frequently that it’s completely unrecognizable from the original version that launched with only three killers to choose from. Of course, that hasn’t kept the game safe from all of the problems that come with widespread indie fame, such griefers, trolls, and players looking to completely break the game with overpowered killer builds. Behavior Interactive has been quick to balance the game in the past, but the huge selection of killers that can be broken has made keeping the game consistent difficult.
A strong showing of the continued success of any online game in modern communities is its prevalence in online streaming communities like Facebook, YouTube, and Twitch. In the case ofDead by Daylightin these communities, it has managed to maintain a large enough fanbase to keep the game consistently on the front page of Twitch, where it usually gets the majority of its viewers. It’s been a combination of the competitive nature of the game, along with the compelling horror aspects and crossovers, that keep players returning with eachnew update toDead by Daylight.
The steady stream of new content for players to dive into has helpedkeepDead by Daylightfreshwith new killers and survivors to play with, as well as new features and rebalances keeping the game interesting. This has also led to the rise of several streamers on the platform that have gained notoriety specifically for their skills as both killers and survivors. However, the status of many of the pop culture icons that have appeared as new Killers like Michael Myers and Freddy Krueger has also led to a number of the popular streamers to turn the gameplay towards humor.
Streamers filling their hours of content with comedy is nothing new, as that is often the best way to fill the time when committing to a full day’s work dedicated to one game. So, making jokes andgags out ofDead by Daylightis nothing new for the medium, even if it does undercut the fear factor of the horror icon and asymmetric gameplay. Then there are the stars fromDead by Daylight’s streaming community that get special attention from developer Behavior Interactive specifically.
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Behavior’s Fog Whisperers
The Fog Whisperers inDead by Daylight’s streaming community are some of the top streamers who either exclusively play the game for their viewers, or regularly revisit it. These players are often vetted and sometimes controversy has meant that the list of active Fog Whisperers has been fluid in the past. Still, for anyone looking to get into the game, a great place to start is through the Fog Whisperer program and watching any of these streamers to get a feel for what to expect fromDead by Daylight’s systems.
Given that these Fog Whisperers have a connection to Behavior Interactive, due to how these streamers have to apply for the program in the first place, it implies a level of trust in these streamers. This is the type of community representation that can make jumping into a game from an outside perspective a lot easier, given that the developer vouches for these players specifically. Considering how difficult the asymmetrical combat can get, as well as thenew features being added toDead by Deadlight, having that trusted source to get a foot in the door can be great for new players.
Each new survivor andkiller added toDead by Daylightover the course of the last five years has continued to increase the depth of the game’s mechanics, as players need to learn how to react to new abilities and perks. However, Behavior Interactive clearly has no plans of stopping that growth anytime soon, with new content still coming to the game all the time. So, as the game continues to grow, players can expect to see new ways to play, and hopefully the developer will be able to land even more horror icons to join in on the action.
While the list ofkillers available inDead by Daylighthas grown to 24 individuals, it’s still exciting to see what Behavior Interactive has planned for the next original monster or crossover event. Fans have continued to ask for Ridley Scott’sAlienand Jason Vorhees ofFriday the 13thfame to eventually make an appearance, but there are tons of other horror icons to pick from. For now, fans can just wait and see howDead by Daylightcontinues to grow and improve over the next five years of its life.
Dead by Daylightis available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
